The present invention relates to voltage control in pulsed power systems, and more particularly, to a predict-ahead controller for achieving increased pulse-to-pulse stability in pulsed power systems and especially those that use command-resonant-charge (CRC) architecture.
CRC architecture is typically used in pulsed systems to transfer energy from one capacitor bank to a second capacitor bank of lower capacity to achieve voltage gain. CRC architecture is common in devices which power Linear Induction Accelerators (LIA's), RADAR systems, EMP simulators, accelerator power sources, and Laser Isotope Separator (LIS) systems.
LIA's are used to produce high average power charged particle beams. These accelerators have been operated at high current (greater than 1 kA), moderate energy (on the order of tens of MeV), and at high repetition rates (on the order of 5 KHz). Operation of the LIA depends on the time rate of change of magnetic flux through the magnetic material (typically ferrite) within the accelerator cells. The changing flux produces an acceleration gradient along the accelerator axis that imparts energy to the charged particle beam.
Pulse-to-pulse voltage stability is fundamental to the high power operation of a Free Electron Laser (FEL) driven by an LIA. Such technology is being used to heat plasmas using electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH). Magnetic modulators, which use nonlinear, voltage dependent magnetics, are also among the devices which require a stable voltage source for stable pulse-to-pulse timing control and voltage regulation.
LIA technology has been proposed for hazardous waste treatment, product sterilization, and X-ray lithography. The success of these concepts depends in part upon stable operation of the LIA, which requires exceptional pulse-to-pulse voltage stability in the accelerator pulsed-power system.
Industrial applications of CRC architecture include high frequency annealing, E-beam and conventional welding, and magneforming. Pulse-to-pulse voltage stability in these systems can lead to better quality control. CRC architecture is also used in the medical industry. Applications include RF heating (diathermy), X-ray systems, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems. Pulse-to-pulse voltage stability in these systems can potentially improve instrument accuracy as well as patient safety.